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10cc

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I'm Not In Love - Guitar Lesson

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Band Overview

10cc emerged from Stockport, England in the early 1970s as one of the most inventive and technically accomplished bands of the art-pop era. Comprising four multi-instrumentalists (Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman, Lol Creme, and Kevin Godley), the band blurred the lines between rock, pop, progressive experimentation, and studio wizardry. For guitarists, 10cc represents a masterclass in tasteful, melodic playing where every note serves the song rather than the ego. Their guitar work is deeply intertwined with layered production, making them essential listening for anyone who wants to understand how guitar fits into sophisticated arrangements. Eric Stewart was the primary lead guitarist and vocalist, delivering clean, articulate lines with a smooth vibrato and an emphasis on chord voicings that went well beyond basic open and barre shapes. Graham Gouldman, better known as a legendary songwriter (he penned hits for The Yardbirds and The Hollies before 10cc), handled much of the rhythm guitar and bass work, bringing a pop craftsman's sense of economy and hook to his parts. Lol Creme was the band's experimental wildcard on guitar, co-inventing the Gizmo, a mechanical device that created infinite sustain and orchestral textures from an electric guitar. Together, these players created a guitar landscape that ranges from jangly pop to prog-influenced complexity. Difficulty-wise, 10cc songs are moderately challenging. The chord progressions often feature jazz-influenced extensions (major 7ths, added 9ths, diminished passing chords) that will push intermediate players beyond pentatonic comfort zones. Lead lines tend to be melodic rather than shred-heavy, but achieving the right tone, dynamics, and phrasing requires real control. If you are comfortable with barre chords and want to develop your ear for more colorful harmony and studio-style layered guitar parts, 10cc is an excellent band to study. Their music rewards patience and attention to detail over raw speed.

What Makes 10cc Essential for Guitar Players

Eric Stewart's lead playing emphasizes melodic phrasing and clean tone with a warm, controlled vibrato. Studying his solos teaches you how to say more with fewer notes, a skill every guitarist needs.
10cc songs frequently use jazz-influenced chord voicings, including major 7ths, minor 9ths, and diminished chords. Learning their progressions will dramatically expand your chord vocabulary beyond standard rock shapes.
The band's rhythm guitar parts often feature intricate arpeggiated patterns rather than simple strumming, making them great exercises for fingerpicking accuracy and hybrid picking technique.
Lol Creme's experimental guitar textures, achieved partly through the Gizmo device and studio processing, demonstrate how effects and unconventional techniques can turn a standard electric guitar into an orchestral instrument.
Many 10cc tracks layer multiple guitar parts (clean rhythm, overdriven lead, acoustic doubling) that are panned across the stereo field. Transcribing these parts teaches you arrangement thinking and how to record guitar in a studio context.

Did You Know?

Eric Stewart suffered a serious car accident in 1979 that damaged his hearing in one ear, yet he continued to produce and play with remarkable tonal sensitivity for decades afterward.

Lol Creme and Kevin Godley co-invented the Gizmo, a mechanical attachment for electric guitar that used small rotating wheels to bow the strings, creating violin and cello-like sustain. They were so obsessed with it that they left 10cc partly to develop it further.

The iconic track 'I'm Not in Love' was almost scrapped by the band before they developed its famous layered vocal technique. The guitar part on the song is intentionally minimal, proving that knowing when NOT to play is a crucial guitar skill.

10cc recorded at Strawberry Studios in Stockport, which Eric Stewart co-owned. This gave them unlimited studio time, allowing them to experiment with guitar tones, overdubs, and production techniques that most bands of the era simply could not afford.

Graham Gouldman wrote 'For Your Love' for The Yardbirds (the song that drove Eric Clapton out of the band) and 'Heart Full of Soul,' giving him a deep connection to guitar-driven British rock history before 10cc even existed.

Eric Stewart played a key guitar part on Paul McCartney's 'Press to Play' album in 1986, and McCartney in turn contributed to Stewart's solo work. Stewart's studio guitar skills were respected well beyond the 10cc catalog.

The band's name reportedly came from a dream, but the group leaned into the myth and mystery. Their studio approach to guitar was similarly unconventional: they would often record guitar parts at unusual speeds and then pitch-shift them to create unique timbres.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Sheet Music 1974

This is 10cc at their most guitar-diverse. 'Wall Street Shuffle' features a funky rhythm guitar part with tight muting and syncopation, while 'Silly Love' showcases crunchy rock riffing. The album is packed with varied guitar textures that will challenge your versatility across clean, overdriven, and acoustic tones.

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The Original Soundtrack 1975

Home to 'I'm Not in Love,' this album teaches restraint and atmospheric guitar playing. 'Une Nuit a Paris' is a multi-part suite with progressive rock guitar passages, tempo changes, and dynamic shifts that will test your ability to follow complex arrangements. Great for developing your sense of dynamics and ensemble playing.

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How Dare You! 1976

The last album with all four original members, and arguably the most adventurous in terms of guitar layering. 'Art for Art's Sake' has a driving, palm-muted rhythm part with a memorable riff, while 'I'm Mandy Fly Me' features lush arpeggiated chords and smooth lead lines. Perfect for intermediate players looking to develop sophisticated phrasing.

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Deceptive Bends 1977

After Creme and Godley departed, Stewart and Gouldman leaned into more straightforward guitar-driven pop-rock. 'The Things We Do for Love' and 'Good Morning Judge' feature clean, hooky guitar lines that are extremely satisfying to learn. This album is the most accessible entry point for guitarists who want immediate playable results.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

Eric Stewart primarily played a Gibson Les Paul Standard and a Fender Stratocaster throughout the 1970s, choosing between them based on the tonal needs of each track. For warmer, thicker rhythm parts and sustaining leads, the Les Paul was his go-to. For cleaner, brighter arpeggios and jangly textures, the Strat came out. Graham Gouldman often played a Fender Telecaster for rhythm parts, prizing its cutting midrange and note clarity in dense mixes. Acoustic tracks frequently featured Gibson J-200 and Martin D-28 models.

Amp

10cc worked primarily in the studio, so amp choices were dictated by tone rather than stage volume. Eric Stewart favored Fender Twin Reverbs for clean, shimmering tones and Marshall 50-watt heads (similar to the JMP/Plexi era) for overdriven lead passages. Amps were typically kept at moderate gain levels and driven harder with the guitar's volume knob or a boost, keeping the tone articulate rather than heavily saturated. The studio environment at Strawberry Studios allowed careful mic placement and room blending.

Pickups

On the Les Paul, Stewart used stock PAF-style humbuckers, which provided the warm, round sustain heard on leads and thicker rhythm parts. The moderate output (around 7-8k ohms) kept the tone dynamic and responsive to picking attack. On the Stratocaster, standard single-coil pickups delivered the glassy, bell-like cleans that characterize many 10cc recordings. The contrast between humbucker warmth and single-coil clarity was a core part of the band's sonic palette.

Effects & Chain

10cc relied heavily on studio effects rather than pedalboards. Tape delay (via studio machines like the Studer tape units at Strawberry Studios) was a primary tool for creating spatial depth on guitar parts. Phaser effects (MXR Phase 90 and similar units) appear on several tracks for swirling, modulated textures. The Gizmo, Creme and Godley's custom sustain device, was used on select tracks for bowed string sounds. Compression was applied liberally during mixing to keep guitar parts polished and controlled. Overall, the effects approach was subtle and studio-integrated rather than relying on a traditional pedalboard chain.

Recommended Gear

Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Eric Stewart's Stratocaster delivered the glassy, bell-like clean tones that define 10cc's jangly arpeggios and bright textures. Single-coil pickups provided the clarity and responsiveness needed to cut through dense studio arrangements.

Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Graham Gouldman wielded the Telecaster's cutting midrange and note definition to anchor 10cc's rhythm parts in crowded mixes. Its bright, articulate character complemented the band's intricate songwriting and studio-focused production approach.

Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Stewart's Les Paul Standard provided warm, round sustain through stock PAF humbuckers, essential for the thicker rhythm parts and sustaining leads throughout 10cc's catalog. Its dynamic response to picking attack kept tones articulate even at moderate gain levels.

Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

This premium Les Paul variant would have offered similar warmth and sustain to Stewart's Standard, suitable for 10cc's demanding studio sessions requiring consistent, full-bodied tone on rhythm and lead passages.

Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

The Twin Reverb's natural breakup and shimmering reverb created 10cc's signature clean, spacious guitar textures in the studio. Its moderate gain structure allowed the band to maintain articulate, polished tones without heavy saturation.

Pedal

MXR Phase 90

This classic phaser added swirling, modulated textures to select 10cc tracks, contributing to the band's sophisticated, effects-integrated production style that prioritized subtle studio enhancement over obvious processing.

How to Practice 10cc on GuitarZone

Every 10cc song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice I'm Not In Love - Guitar Lesson